Electronic devices, especially those for use in computers, often require a driver file. The driver provides information that allows components of the computer and/or operating system to communicate with the electronic device. For example, taking the most common computers and architecture based computer using a Microsoft™ operating system, the operating system often includes drivers for the most common devices, with other drivers being installed from a disk. Plug-and-play operating systems allow the operating system to automatically find the device, and if a driver is available, to automatically install that driver.
When devices such as network cards or video cards are sold, they often include a driver disk to use in installing the device.
Driver disks may be inconvenient, for many reasons. It adds cost to the device, since it is an extra item that needs to be added to the package. It is easy to lose the disk. Some computers, especially small sized computers, do not have internal drives for disks.
The drivers are also often maintained on a web site. However, this requires the owner of the device to find and navigate that web site in order to determine the right location, download the driver, and install it. However, this presupposes that the user has Internet access. For example, if the driver is for a display module or a network driver, the user may not have Internet access, or even computer access, prior to the installation of the hardware.